Retirement planning

Chartered retirement planning advice tailored to your pensions, investments and income needs — with a clear plan you can act on.

Retirement planning built around your life, not just your pension

Retirement is rarely a single date — it’s a financial transition. The decisions you make about pensions, investments and income can affect not only your lifestyle in the years ahead, but also your options in later life and what you pass on to family.

Becketts helps you make informed, confident choices with retirement planning advice that brings everything together — what you have now, what you’ll need, and how to draw income sustainably in a way that fits your goals and your comfort with risk.

Important note:

The 2024 Autumn Budget announced that most unused pension funds will form part of your taxable estate for inheritance tax purposes from 6 April 2027. If you haven’t yet reviewed how this affects your retirement and estate plan, now is the time to start.

What you’ll get from our retirement planning advice

Clarity on your retirement options

Defined contribution pensions can usually be accessed flexibly, including drawdown, annuities and lump sums. We explain the trade-offs in plain English.

A retirement income plan built to last

We use cashflow planning to show how long your money could last and to model different scenarios — including spending changes, inflation and investment performance.

Tax awareness without guesswork

We help you think through tax efficiency across your retirement income, keeping the plan grounded in current rules (which can and do change).

Joined-up planning

Your retirement plan should fit with your other assets, income sources and estate planning objectives — not sit in isolation.

Confidence through regular review

You’ll receive agreed reviews and ongoing suitability checks so your plan evolves as your life does.

Chartered Financial Planners

Accredited by the Chartered Insurance Institute every year since 2011.

Certified B Corporation

Recognised for high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

Recognised Top Financial firm

Becketts is consistently recognised as being one of the top 100 financial firms in the UK by FT Adviser (a Financial Times publication) and New Model Adviser from Citywire

Established and trustworthy

38 years of helping clients and over £1.7 billion in assets under management

High Client Satisfaction

Score of 96 out of 10 private client satisfaction in a recent client survey

Retirement Planning FAQs

Do I need a retirement adviser, or can I use Pension Wise?

Pension Wise from MoneyHelper offers free, impartial guidance for people aged 50 or over with a UK-based defined contribution pension. It explains your options but does not give you a personal recommendation. A regulated financial adviser helps you make decisions based on your individual circumstances, goals and financial position — and documents those recommendations in writing.

What options do I have for taking money from my defined contribution pension?

Common options include flexible drawdown (where your pot stays invested and you draw income from it), taking lump sums, converting some or all of the pot into a guaranteed income (annuity), or a combination of these. Each has different tax implications, income flexibility and long-term risk profiles.

Can I take tax-free cash from my pension?

In many cases, you can take up to 25% of your pension as a tax-free lump sum (up to the current Lump Sum Allowance of £268,275 for most people). The remaining 75% is taxable as income. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and the rules can change.

How do you work out whether my retirement income is sustainable?

We use cashflow modelling to map your income and savings over time, using assumptions about investment growth, inflation and spending. We then test different ‘what if’ scenarios so you can see how resilient your plan is under different conditions.

What about the new rule bringing pensions into inheritance tax?

The Autumn Budget 2024 announced that most unused pension funds will form part of the taxable estate for IHT purposes from 6 April 2027. If your pension was previously a key part of your estate planning strategy, this change may significantly alter your position. We recommend reviewing your retirement and estate plan together in light of this change.

How often will we review my retirement plan?

If you choose an ongoing advice service, the service and review frequency will be set out in your client agreement. Ongoing services generally include periodic suitability reviews, so your plan stays aligned to your current circumstances.

Investments can go down as well as up. Returns are not guaranteed and you may get back less than you invest. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change. Pension rules and allowances can also change. The value of any pension is not guaranteed.